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If you're having trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor for any unemployment questions, I found this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com that helps you get through to actual agents. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Really useful when you need to talk to someone about your claim status.
ugh the whole tax situation with unemployment is such a mess!! I got unemployment too and I'm terrified about filing. Why doesn't NYS Department of Labor just withhold the right amount automatically instead of making us guess?? This system is so broken.
The system is so confusing and they make it deliberately hard to understand! I've been fighting with NYS Department of Labor for months over a simple question about my benefit calculation. The website is terrible and the phone system hangs up on you constantly. Good luck getting a straight answer about anything.
One thing to remember is that even if you qualify, there's usually a one week waiting period before you can start collecting benefits. And make sure you file your weekly claims every week even if your initial claim is still being processed or you'll lose those weeks.
definitely file asap! i made the mistake of waiting like 2 weeks thinking i needed to 'settle in' to being unemployed first and totally screwed myself out of those benefits. you cant backdate claims in NY so every day you wait is money lost
same boat as OP, got let go last month and filed immediately. one thing they dont tell you is that even after you file youll probably have to wait for them to verify everything with your employer. took about 10 days before my weekly claims were actually payable. but yeah definitely dont wait to file the initial claim
Freya Larsen
This brings back memories of my economics classes! The business cycle creates that roller coaster effect on employment. I remember during the last recession how overwhelmed NYS Department of Labor was with all the claims flooding in. My brother lost his construction job and it took months to process his UI claim because of the volume.
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Omar Hassan
wait so cyclical unemployment is different from seasonal unemployment right?? i always get those confused when talking about my landscaping work
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Malik Johnson
•Yes, they're different! Seasonal unemployment happens at predictable times each year (like your landscaping work in winter). Cyclical unemployment is tied to the broader economic cycle and can happen at any time depending on economic conditions. NYS Department of Labor tracks both types separately in their statistics.
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